Something Bends Unexpectedly
by Daryl-Dixons-Gurl
Summary: The war is over. Harry is dead and Hermione is going to be alone at Hogwarts. None of her friends are talking to her. Ron works with George, and Ginny's a Quidditch player now. But on the train ride, Draco sits with her, and it opens a new friendship that could become something more. Draco/Hermione *Character death* Rated T


After the war, everything changed. Hermione Granger even changed. Sure, she still kept her nose in a book, but she didn't hang around Ron Weasley as much. Honestly, she avoided him. Whenever she saw him, she saw Harry Potter, dead in his arms. It was a sight that had been too unbearable. At first she thought it was a joke, like the first time. When all he'd done was lose Voldemort's soul, but no. He was dead. He and Voldemort had died together.

* * *

After the war McGonagall had opened Hogwarts to the students that either had not been able to finish their seventh year due to the war, or simply did not show up. Ron declined it and took his older brother Fred's place at the shop, but Hermione jumped at the chance. Now she sat on the Hogwarts Express, staring out the window as the countryside flew by.

"May I sit here?" Hermione looked up and her cinnamon eyes met steel ones.

"O-Of course Draco." She said with a small smile.

Draco had been one of the first to go against Voldemort. He had also been a spy for the Order, but he and Hermione had never really spoken. He nodded and sat down across from her. "No Weasleys?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No. Ron is working at the shop with George and Ginny got picked up by some Quidditch team." She said quietly.

"So…you're coming back…alone?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess so." She whispered as she turned to the window.

Draco sighed. "Well, I want you to know…I'm here for you." He said quietly. It was so quiet that Hermione almost thought she'd heard him wrong, but when she turned to look at him, he was looking at her with such sincerity, that she knew she'd heard him correctly.

* * *

Hermione looked around the classroom. Things were much more lax at Hogwarts, and most teachers were letting their students sit anywhere. McGonagall was no exception to this. Hermione bit her lip; all of her old friends avoided her, even Neville Longbottom. "Hey." Hermione turned around to see Draco sitting at a back table. "Come back here and sit." He said with a gentle smile.

"O-Okay." Hermione squeaked out. She walked back to him and sat beside him awkwardly. She was rather stiff, finding this all to be a little weird.

Draco glanced at her and laughed lightly. "Relax Granger. You can trust me." He said nonchalantly.

Hermione released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding in and slouched a little. "Thanks." She whispered. She looked up from her hands and saw that the whole class was staring at them, their eyes wide in disbelief.

"What's your problem!?" Draco growled out. "We're friends. Get over it."

The class abruptly turned back to the front where McGonagall was smiling. She winked at Hermione quickly, it took Hermione a moment to realize it. Then she turned to the board and began to write the notes down. "Draco…" she said quietly.

"Sorry, it's just. People piss me off. They don't need to make a spectacle out of nothing." He said.

"We're friends?" Hermione blurted out, her face as red as Weasley hair.

Draco chuckled a little as he began to scribble the notes down. "Of course." He replied.

* * *

Hermione sighed lightly as she entered the library. Before the war it was where she got away from Fred and George Weasley, and now it was where she got away from the persistent students who only cared about her journey with Harry. She felt tears pricks at her eyes as she pictured her dead best friend. _Control yourself Hermione. You promised him you wouldn't get hung up on him like this._ She thought as she nodded at Madame Pince. She turned to her right and made her way to her normal corner. She stopped in her tracks when she pictured herself there with Harry. She abruptly turned and went to a table on the other side of the library and slumped down into the chair.

* * *

_ Hermione ran out of the school to see Harry and Voldemort dueling. She had been so relieved when Harry had rolled from Hagrid's grasp, a determined smirk on his face. He winked at her before he ran off. Now, he was there duking it out with Voldemort. She felt Ron come to stand by her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, the only thing he could think to do. Hermione watched as Harry's spell finally overrode Voldemort's. But Hermione was quite perceptive; she saw the slight streak of green hit Harry just as he caught the Elder Wand. Voldemort faded away as snake skin and Harry fell to the ground. Hermione was the first one at his side. "Harry!" she cried out as she placed his head in her lap. "Harry…listen to me."_

_ "I won…?" he said breathlessly as the Weasley clan and a handful of others came to surround them._

_ "You did." She whispered as a few tears began to fall from her eyes._

_ "Hermione, you should know something…" he said._

_ "What?" she asked._

_ "I did this all for you…" he said. "I did it all of it for you. You were what I was fighting for. Not only to avenge my parents, but to make sure nothing bad would ever happen to you. I love you so much." He said._

_Hermione's breath was taken away by this. She had always known she had loved Harry, and she'd always known there was a connection, but she never expected it to be noticed, or reciprocated by Harry. "Harry…I love you too. Madame Pomfrey's on her way, you'll be just fine." She whispered._

_Harry smiled grimly up at her. "No Hermione…you know as well as I do. I'm dying." He said plainly._

_Hermione heard Molly gasp behind her. "Not him too." Molly whispered._

_Harry cringed a little and Hermione could tell his breath was becoming more and more shallow. "Hermione, you must promise you'll go back to Hogwarts. No matter what. You have to become something. Keep going. Don't get hung up on me. You'll find someone to take care of you. I promise." He said. At this, his eyes drifted to someone behind Hermione. But Hermione refused to take her eyes off of Harry. "I love you…" he whispered one last time._

_Their eyes connected and she watched as his emerald eyes slowly disappeared behind his eyelids. "I love you too." She replied as a waterfall of tears flowed from her eyes._

* * *

"Hermione?" Hermione looked up from her parchment to meet steel eyes. "Why are you crying?" Draco asked gently.

"I was just…" she looked down at her book to see it was soaked. She flicked her wand and it was instantly dry and she closed it. "I was remembering the battle. When Harry died." She said.

Draco knelt down and gently grabbed her face. He slowly wiped her tears away with his thumbs and smiled gently at her. "Hermione…I know you loved him. And I know he was your best friend. But you must move on. If you don't it'll consume you." He said quietly.

Hermione met his eyes once again and saw the truth in it. "But, then I won't have anyone else in the world. Keeping Harry with me like this, keeps me going. Because I know I at least have someone with me."

Draco smiled at this and released her face. "You can always keep Harry with you. He's always with you…in here." He said as he placed his index finger on her chest above her heart. "But Hermione, if you want someone here to help you. I'll be here for you. I'll always be here for you."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Hermione whispered.

Draco stood up and shrugged a little. "That's a good question." He said. Hermione laughed lightly, her eyes finally dry. "I really don't know. I just saw how broken you were on the train. And I realized that neither of the Weasleys were here to pick up the pieces. So I figured I could do it."

Hermione looked up at the bright blue sky and sighed a little. "Hey Hermione!" Draco called from behind her. She turned and smiled brightly at him. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Hagrid's. Do you want to come with me?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Draco bit his lower lip. "I don't think he'll want me down there." He replied.

Hermione laughed a little. "Of course he will. Come on." She said as she grabbed his wrist and tugged him towards the hut. They came to a stop at the door and she raised her petite hand and knocked. "Hagrid! I'm coming in!"

"C'mon in!" Hagrid called back. Hermione pushed the door open and led Draco in. "Who do yeh have wit' yeh?" he asked.

"Draco." She said as she stepped aside to reveal the tall blonde boy.

"Hello sir." Draco said uneasily.

"Oh…hullo." Hagrid said awkwardly.

Draco glanced at Hermione and then at Hagrid. If he wanted this friendship to work, he had to suck up his pride and do something he'd been wanting to do for a long time. "I'm sorry about the way I acted before the war. I was such a prat. And I am sorry for everything my father did to you." He blurted out.

Hermione beamed a bright smile at Draco and then at Hagrid. She noticed that his eyes were getting a little watery. "Apology accepted. Want some tea?" he asked.

Hermione led the way over to the table and sat down. Draco sat beside her with a small smile. "I would love one. Thank you." He replied, winking at Hermione.

* * *

Hermione smiled to herself as she stepped out onto the snow covered grounds. It was honestly her favorite time of year at Hogwarts, it was all so serene. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She let the snow fall all over her, and it made her feel a little better. She opened her eyes and saw two boys and a girl having a snowball fight. She then felt a tug in her chest as she pictured herself with Ron and Harry when they were in their third year just like the three kids. She felt the tears form in her eyes so she ran towards the forest to find solace there. "Hermione!" she stopped and turned to see Draco standing before her, huffing lightly. "What's the matter?" he asked.

Hermione glanced back at the three kids who'd stopped playing and looked at her with awe, realizing who she was. "I was…I was reminded of Ron and Harry and it just hurts." She said quietly as she looked down at her feet and felt the tears fall from her eyes.

Draco sighed and stepped forward and took her hand. "It'll be okay. Harry would want you to remember him, but not to be sad about it. He'd want you to move on." Draco whispered. He then gently grabbed her chin and kissed her forehead. "C'mon, let's go get some hot cocoa at Hagrid's."

* * *

**_Author's Note:_**

_Dedicated to xx-AmberSilvrene-xx who requested a Dramione fic._

_I hope you guys all liked it._

_And I do requests, as you can tell. ;)_

_Keep reading my stuff and review it. I LOVE reviews_

_Yours Truly,_

**_~Daryl-Dixons-Gurl~_**


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